title: Peptide-based treatment of sepsis.
abstract: Sepsis (blood poisoning) is a severe infectious disease with high mortality, and no effective therapy is actually known. In the case of Gram-negative bacteria, endotoxins (lipopolysaccharides) are known to be responsible for the strong inflammation reaction leading to the systemic infection. Peptides based on endotoxin-binding domains of human or animal proteins represent a promising approach in sepsis research. Although so far no medicament is available, the progress in recent years might lead to a breakthrough in this field. In this review, recent investigations are summarised, which may lead to an understanding of the mechanisms of action of peptides to suppress the inflammation reaction in vitro and in vivo (animal models) and thus may allow the development of effective anti-septic drugs.
authors.affiliation: Forschungszentrum Borstel, Leibniz-Zentrum für Medizin and Biowissenschaften, Parkallee 10, 23845 Borstel, Germany. Kbranden@fz-borstel.de
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brandenburg
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrä
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garidel
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gutsmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000276:immunology; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004731:Endotoxins; D010455:Peptides